All students at Pleasant Valley are required to complete 30 hours of service learning as an underclassman and 40 hours as an upperclassman. The program has allowed for students to help out the community and the world while getting to explore different passions and potential career paths.
It’s easy for kids to get lost in all the options available for service learning hours. Emily Jepsen, service learning coordinator at Pleasant Valley High School, says, “I believe there are hundreds of wonderful service learning opportunities, and some of the less appealing ones may get overlooked. It is easy for students to volunteer somewhere they are familiar with and relates to their own hobbies, however, I believe students will get more out of volunteering when they step outside of the box.”
One service learning project that tends to get neglected is the Boys & Girls Club in Davenport. The organization states its purpose as “a youth development organization that promotes character development and prevents delinquency. This is accomplished through services directed at providing behavioral guidance and the promotion of health, social, educational, vocational and character development of children.”
Boys & Girls Club is an after school program for at-risk children. Volunteers at the Club help the children with their homework and other developmental activities, play games with them, and socialize with them. The volunteers and staff also provide a good example for kids who may have bad influences in other areas of their lives. Boys & Girls Club presents the children with a safe environment where they can improve in school and build character.
Volunteering at Boys & Girls Club and other similar programs is unique because of the direct impact it has on young lives. Friendly House, also located in Davenport, provides services like those at Boys & Girls Club.
“Recently I have heard about a volunteer opportunity in Davenport that takes place on Saturday mornings at Monroe Elementary School where parents and children come in for games, crafts, and a hot meal. I believe this would be a fantastic opportunity, but I can see students overlooking it because of the transportation to it and the unfamiliarity of it,” Jepsen added.
While some may find it intimidating to work directly with other people, the lifelong friendships that can be created from volunteering at these organizations make it very worthwhile.
For more information on Boys & Girls Club and Friendly House, check out their websites:
Julie • Oct 7, 2016 at 8:49 am
I agree with picking a good volunteer experience that goes with what you like to do, for example I picked coaching soccer and I enjoyed going and before I knew it I had all my hours.